Winds batter central NZ

Destructive winds wreaked havoc throughout the middle of the
country yesterday - with a tornado striking Greymouth,
tearing iron off roofs and smashing buildings. Wellington was
also buffeted, and flights were cancelled.

One West Coast resident described the height of the storm as
"like a jet plane coming at you".

Parts of New Zealand were deluged by intense rain and
battered by strong winds as storm fronts moved up the
country.

The Metservice issued severe weather rain and wind warnings
across the South Island and central New Zealand.

Wind gusts in parts of Canterbury were recorded at a damaging
130km/h. Marlborough, Wellington, Wairarapa and Taihape were
also hammered.

The Fire Service attended five weather-related call outs in
the capital. Shift commander Murray Dunbar said a roof lifted
off a shed in Melrose and lines were brought down by strong
gusts.

Wellington Airport was forced to cancel flights with major
travel delays for travellers on regional routes.

"We're still experiencing disruption due to the high winds,"
a Wellington Airport spokeswoman said last night.

MetService forecaster Frances Russell said the worst-affected
areas yesterday included the Tararua Ranges, Mt Taranaki and
the west of the central North Island including Tongariro
National Park. MetService said the rain is expected to ease
across most parts of the country today.

Greymouth will be clearing away debris for days after a
tornado cut a destructive swathe through the residential
suburb of Blaketown about 5pm. No one was hurt in the
twister, but around 10 properties were damaged.

Homes lost roofs, windows were shattered and buildings
extensively damaged when the violent twister touched down.

Doyle St resident Marcia Pera said there was little warning
before the twister struck with such force her garage was
destroyed and her home left in ruins.

"It went straight over us," said Pera, 39. "It's like a jet
plane coming at you.

"It flattened the garage and made a big tree fall into our
home, smashing the sliding door and taking out half the
roof."

She said as the twister roared over them she screamed to her
family to run into the hallway.

As the twister funnelled over the family home she heard
building material tearing as the house was ripped apart.

Pera said it's the second time in 10 years her home had been
left uninhabitable by a tornado.